Tony Thurmond: “last week the Senator from Arizona proposed an amendment that would authorize the President to conduct underground…”

“last week the Senator from Arizona proposed an amendment that would authorize the President to conduct underground nuclear weapons tests after October 1, 1996, if the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has not been ratified by the United States. I want to emphasize once again, this amendment does not promote nuclear weapons testing. The amendment does not advocate opposition to concluding a comprehensive test ban. In order to conduct an underground nuclear test, the President would have to submit a report to the Congress detailing justification for the test and the Congress could take actions to stop any test. Mr. President, at some future date, if the President were to determine sometime that he needed to conduct an underground nuclear test for reason of safety and reliability of the stockpile and withdrew from a comprehensive test ban treaty, he would not be able to conduct a test. I do not believe we should wait for a situation of that nature to arise and then try to pass legislation in the Congress. Mr. President, I voted against the Exon-Hatfield-Mitchell legislation in August 1992. We must ensure that our aging nuclear weapons are safe and reliable. A moratorium on testing and certainly a comprehensive test ban will not guarantee the safety and reliability of our nuclear deterrent forces. Once again, I support the amendment offered by the distinguished Senator from Arizona and urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment. I yield the floor, Mr. President.”